Preview: RKC Waalwijk vs. AZ Alkmaar - prediction, team news, lineups

The sides head into this one in highly contrasting forms as the hosts look to avoid to a fourth defeat on the bounce while their visitors go in search of a fourth consecutive victory across all competitions

Match preview

AZ Alkmaar rounded off their Europa Conference League group-stage campaign on a high thanks to a 2-1 victory over Dnipro-1 at the AFAS Stadion on Thursday.

Pascal Jansen's men opened the scoring through Jens Odgaard but were pegged back by Artem Dovbyk five minutes shy of the interval after which Vangelis Pavlidis came off the bench to grab a late winner.

Prior to that, the Cheeseheads secured a hard-fought 2-1 win over FC Volendam and have moved up to third in the Eredivisie table, two points behind Ajax at the top of the pile having played a game more.

Awaiting them next is the challenge of an opposing outfit who have been beaten in seven of the last 10 meetings between the teams since 2013.

Ahead of a crunch clash against PSV Eindhoven in their final outing before the World Cup break, Sunday's visitors will be keen to put on a dominant display this weekend.

Waalwijk were on the receiving end of a heavy 3-0 defeat against high-flying FC Twente when the sides faced off at De Grolsch Veste on Sunday.

A first-half double from Sem Steijn left Joseph Oosting's men with too much to do before Ricky van Wolfswinkel put the final nail in the coffin late on.

Nonetheless, RKC remain in ninth place in the league standings although a couple of teams in and around are beginning to bear down on them.

Off the back of a first home defeat since August in their last outing on home turf, Sunday's hosts now set out to avoid consecutive losses in front of their fans for the first time since February.

RKC Waalwijk Eredivisie form:

W

D

W

D

L

L

RKC Waalwijk form (all competitions):

AZ Alkmaar Eredivisie form:

W

W

W

L

L

W

AZ Alkmaar form (all competitions):

L

L

L

W

W

W

Team News

Bruno Martins-Indi is unavailable for AZ Alkmaar yet again due to a muscle injury, while Zinho Vanheusden misses out as he continues his battle with a foot problem.

The visitors will also have to be without the services of Norway international Hakon Evjen, who is down with an ankle injury for the 11th game on the bounce.

Dani de Wit received his marching orders in the victory over Volendam and the 24-year-old is ineligible to play any part in this weekend's contest.

Waalwijk's Michiel Kramer was absent from his side's last outing but the forward is expected to return to the starting lineup for this one.

Jurien Gaari and Yassin Oukili are both walking a disciplinary tightrope as they are currently one yellow card away from picking up a suspension.

RKC Waalwijk possible starting lineup:

Vaessen; Lutonda, Van den Buijs, Adewoye, Gaari, Lelieveld; Vroegh, Anita, Clement; Lobete, Bel Hassani

AZ Alkmaar possible starting lineup:

Verhulst; Chatzidiakos, Beukema, Dekker, Kerkez; Claise, Reijnders, Koopmeiners; Sugawara, Odgaard, Karlsson

We say: RKC Waalwijk 1-3 AZ Alkmaar

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